Tank-car.



No. 994,994. PATENTBD JULY 98. 1999.

0. A. SHOBMAKER.

TANK GAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

-Gj A. sHoEM/IKBR.

TANK CAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1907.

CHARLES A. SHOEMAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TANK-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2s, 190s.

Application' filed March e, 1907. semi-N0. 360,926.

To altwhom-t't .may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, CHARLES A. SHOE- inknnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State 'of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tank-Cars,

of which the following is a full, clear, concise,-

and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to tank cars, and has for its object -the improvement in the construction thereof.

As is well known tol those skilledin this art, various wayshave been adopted for holding the tanks of tank cars againstlongitudinal displacement with respect to the under frames ofcar bodies. supporting the same. It has been common practice to pass rivets through the sheets of the tanks for the purpose of holding the ltanks in place. It is very a parent that this construction is faulty, for t e rivets are subjectto shearing strains and the holes in the'tank sheets containing the' shanks of the rivets are likely to be enlarged and the tank sheets are likely to be warped and buckled where the rivets pass therethrough, whereby the life of the tanks is materially reduced. Moreover, the tanks 4are liable to severe injury and breakage, due to thel bumping the cars receive when contained in a train', also in switching, etc., for the main agency that prevents longitudinal movement between t e tanks and the car bodies carrying the same areithe anchoring rivets.

One feature of my invention resides inproviding means whereby the tanks are held from longitudinal displacement with respect .to the car bodies or under frames independently of any rivets. In practicing this'feature ofmy invention, I substantially ll the l space intervening 'between the lower parts of e ends of the tank and the bumping or buffer. surfaces, thejmaterial thus filled in being subject to compression strains that arise when there is any tendency to movement of thetank longitudinally of its under frame, which tendency might be present, 'for example, when the brakes are suddenly applied, or

1n switching. The material that is thus filled in between portions of the ends of the tanks andthe contiguous buiing surfaces, desirably includes wood'which' a'ords cushioning action, so 'that the tendency .torelative .practically embodied,

body will'not be too violently resisted. .This

feature of my invention will be more .fully explained hereinafter. g

' Another feature of my invention resides in providing an improved supporting means to ,ey located between the ends of the tank.

' movement between the tank and the car- Each supporting means preferably includes f suitable supports, by the use of which shearing strains upon rivets may be eliminated to the greatest extent.

Hitherto. braces or brackets have been provided that included the center sills in their construction, but which did not include body bolsters or other members uniting the center sills as well as other brace portions of the'su ports, the construction being such that fullcrawere afforded at the center sills for the supporting brackets which would promote the puncture of the sheets of the tanks. By using the body bolsters as part of the tank supports, the fulcra at the center sills are removed, for the 'portions of the body bolsters (or other member substituted for the body bolsters) extending between the anchorages of the center sills and the body bolsters, prevent the location of theobjectionable fulcra atthe center sills. The body holsters in my improved construction as constitute tension members, while the center sills and the additional members constitute the com ression members. A tension member is a so provided at the u per'part of each support that is substantialy parallel with the tank. I

prefer to use the center sills and the body tank, thereby making very rm, strong and olsters in my improved tank supports, for,Y thereby many very important advantages are secured, but I do not wish to be limited in all embodiments of my invention to the use of these elements in my improved supports.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, w

showinor the 1n whlc Figure l lis a side view of a tank car broken preferred embodiment thereof,`

' material that is interposed between the same and the contiguous buffing surface of the tank car. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the --structure lshown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view 1n the direction of arrow f 4, the tank,

bein omitted( Li e parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different iigures. t t l The-tank 1 is mounted upon the supports of my invention hereinafter to be particu larly described, and is coniined between the head blocks 2 provided at the en ds of the under frame, there being substantially no clearance between the tank and its head blocks,

due allowance, however, being made for eX- ypansion and contraction. of the tank lengthwise, the tank being thus ca able of practically no relative movement Ilongitudinally of the car body, owing to the head blocks, such slight movement as mi ht be permitted upon considerable contraction of the tank being negligible. The head blocks 2 are desirably of composite formation, wood and cast steel desirably entering into their con# struction. The wooden portions are numbered 2 in the drawings and the balance of each composite head block is numbered 3, this portion of each head block being made of lcast steel and having structural characteristics that will be understood by reading Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. The castings 3 are provided with pockets that face each other and which contain the wooden blocks 2, the front faces of these castings 3 being downwardlyy deflected at 4 to constitute buil"- ing surfaces to receive the blows of the horns of 'the couplersv 5. The castings 8 are desirably riveted to the top flanges of the center sills 6, for which purpose rivet holes 7 are formed in the castings 3. Said castings are also desirably riveted to the webs of the center sills 6, for -which pur ose riv'et holes 8 are provided in downward y extending ribs 9 ormed as parts of the castings 3. Two

' other rivets 10 are also vdesirably provided in the bottom of each casting 3, which are dis-- posed immediately behind the buffing apron 4 so as to thoroughly brace said apron.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, the manner in which the head'blocks engage the lower portions of the ends of the tank will be better understood. As will be seen by reference tothis figure, the cushion block 2 is shaped not only to receive the head 11 of the tank, but also abuts against the bottom sheet 12 of the tank, whereby said bottom sheet, which, of course, is disposed longitu- 'beyond the same.

dinally of the tank, receives the thrust, thus guarding the head of the tank against buckling action.

'It will be seen that whenever the car body has itsinertia counter-acted, that the com pressive strains are mainly absorbed between the buifing surface of the aprons4 and the surface of the cushion blocks 2 that engage the bottom sheets 12 and heads 11 of the tank, so that said tanks are not, permitted materially to move longitudinally of the car body supporting the same, whereby many disadvantageous eiiects inherent in 'prior constructions 'are overcome. As a further advantage, it will be apparent that the strain upon the rivets uniting the buffer plates 4 with the center sills, is counter-acted acting thrusts from the tank and the coupler horn.

Some suitable agency is desirably employed for furthersupporting the tanks in position, and although the movements of the tank with respect to the car body longitudinally are reduced to a minimum, I prefer to employ no rivets that anchor thetank to its supports,'but rather employ the tank straps 13, adjustably secured at 14 to the center sills G, as indicated clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

The remaining feature of my invention is best illustrated 1n Fig. 2, though certain details of construction ofrthis feature of my in vention appear in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 l have illustrated radial supporting arms 15, one in each support being upon each side of the car,

that are united at their upper ends by sheets of tank steel 16, 17, 18, and which arms are united at their bottom ends by a member 19 constructed preferablyof metal, such as cast steel, and desirably made in one piece. The portions 16, 17, 18 extend underneath the tank and carry the same. The structure thus far described comprises two compression members 15, a tension member comprised of the elements 16, 17 18, and the tension member 19. bercomprising the elements 16, 17, 18, vmay be pocketed so as to receive slabbing 20 eX- e tank betweenits supports and yThe trussstructure that l have thus described as being embraced within my improved support, also desirably includes additional compression members 6, 6 which jare desirably the center sills of the car structure, these additionalcornpression membersnot only' acting as compression to sustain t The upper tension merntending longitudinally 'of the supported tank isc eea-,294

members for an individual support, but also v serving to `1011i different supporting struc` ture; to make a very iirm and strong mounting for the tank, as will be readily understood. .Thel tension members 19, forv sake of economy and advantages that will be appar' vWhere the truss members 19 are made of metal, they desirably have the shape indicated in Fig. 3 in cross-section in order that they may be as strong as practical.

The center sill construction constitutes an under frame, but I do not wish to be limited to the precise under frame that l have shown.

It will be seen that I have provided a construction comprising a tank car provided with head blocks substantially extending completely between end portions of the tank andthe buffing surfaces of the car, an under frame to which said head blocks are' riveted", the shanks of the rivets that unite each head block with the under frame being positioned to receive coupler thrusts in one direction and tank thrusts in the reverse direction through the intermediation oit the head block, whereby said rivets arerelieved oi shearing strain, said head blocks being 01' composite construction, the portions thereoiZ that engage the tanks being of wood, said .head blocks also including bufiinmaprons of metal,

y which receive the coupler b ows, said buling apron of metal extending downwardly Jfor the purpose of' receiving the coupler blows and extending upwardly to engage the wood, the portion of said apron engaging the wood being pocketed to secure the wood in position. The car of my construction preferably also includes as each of a plurality of sup sorts, a bottom member (19), constituting a olster, center sills (6, 6) located above said bottom member, a tank-carrying element receiving the tank and connected with the upper portions of the center sills, side supporting elements (i5) intervening between the'bo ttom member (1,9) and the tank-carrying element, and a strut (17 joining the upper portions of the center sills.

Thilo I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I donot wish to be limited to the precise construction shown, as inodiiications may readily be made without departing from thc spirit of my invention, but,

Having thus 'described my invention, l claim' as new and desire t') secure byLetters- Patent the ollowing:-

l. A tank car provided with head blocks substantially extending completely between end portions of the tank and the buiiing surfaces of the car, an under frame to which said head blocks are riveted, the shanks ot the rivets that unite each hond block. with the under frame being positioned to receive coupler thrusts in one direction and tank thrusts in the reverse direction through the intermediation of the head block, whereby said rivets are relieved ci? shearing strain.

2. A tank car provided with head blocks substantially extending completely between end portions ot the tank and the builing surfaces of the car, an under 'trarne to which said head blocksare riveted, the shanks of the rivets that unite each headblock with the under trame being positioned to receive coupler thrusts in one direction and tank thrusts in the reverse direction through the intermediation of the head block, Where oy said rivets are relieved ol shearing strain, said head blocks being of composite construction, the portions thereofA that engage the tanks being of wood.

3. A tank car provided with head blocks substantially extending completely between end portions of the tank and the buiiing surfaces of the car, an under frame to which said head blocks are riveted, the shanks of the rivets that unite leach head block with the under frame-being positioned to receive coupler thrusts'in ine direction and tank thrusts in the reverse direction through the intermediation of the head block, whereby said rivets are relieved oi shearing strain, said head blocks being of composite construction, the portions thereof that engage. the tanks being of wood, said head blocks also including buiiing aprons of metal, which receive the coupler blows.

' 4. A tank car provided with head blocks substantially extending completely between i end portions of the tank and the bufmg surfaces ofthe car, an under frame to which said head blocks are riveted, the shanks oftherivets that unite each head block 7ith the under frame being positioned to receive coupler thrusts in one direction and tank thrusts in the reverse direction through the intermediation of the head block, whereby said rivets are relieved of shearing strain, said head blocks beingoi composite construction, the portions thereof that engage the tanks being of wood, said head blocks a lso including buiiing anronscif metal, which receive the coup- -ler blows, said birding apron ot metal exdiation of the head block, whereby said rivets l said apron engaging the Wood being pocketed are relieved of shearing strain, said head to secure the Wood in position. blocks being of composite construction, the In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe portions thereof that enga e the tanks being myv name this 28th day of February, A. D. 45 of Wood, said head blocks a so including buff- 1907.

ing a rons of metal, which receive the eoup- 1er b ows, said bun apron of metal eX- v CHARLES A' SHOEMAKER tending downwardl; or the purpose of re' Witnesses: A

eeiving the coupler lows and extending up- LEON E. STROH,

1Q Wardly to engage the Wood, the portion of G. LQ CRAGG. 

